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McCook Gazette

Climate marchers hold vigil at depot

Monday, July 7, 2014
Participants in the Great March for Climate Action conduct a short vigil in the BNSF railroad dept to protest shipping of Bakken crude oil via rail. The group will also protest the Keystone XL pipeline, designed to haul the same crude oil, when it reaches eastern Nebraska. (Courtesy photo)

McCOOK, Neb. -- On their way from LA to DC to inspire actions on the climate crisis, dozens of marchers with the Great March for Climate Action visited the BNSF Railway Station in McCook to hold a short vigil.

The vigil commemorated the one year anniversary of an oil train explosion in Lac-Megantic, Quebec that killed 47 people. Marchers entered the station quietly, sat in a circle, and took turns ringing a bell as the names of the 47 victims were read.

"We want to honor the people who lost their lives in Quebec last year, but we also want to call attention to the dangers posed by the increasingly common practice of shipping oil by rail," said Mary DeCamp, a climate marcher who is also a native Neligh, Nebraska.

Participants in the Great March for Climate Action march in the Culbertson Fourth of July parade on Friday. (Lorri Sughroue/McCook Gazette)

BNSF Railway ships more Bakken crude oil than any other railway. "They want to keep details about their oil train traffic through Nebraska confidential. Nebraska's state emergency responders plan to honor the railway's request by keeping such information secret," according to a release from the marchers.

The vigil is part of a national week of action to bring attention to the dangers of shipping oil by rail. Called the North American Week of Action to Stop Oil by Rail, residents from Lac-Megantic and grassroots organizers from across the continent hope the events will heighten people's awareness of oil trains and inspire them to take action to protect their communities.

More information is available at www.climatemarch.org or http://stopoiltrains.org

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  • Thanks for covering this! One small but important correction: the link for the North American Week of Action to Stop Oil by Rail is actually http://stopoiltrains.org/

    -- Posted by John Abbe on Mon, Jul 7, 2014, at 5:28 PM

  • We need the Keystone Pipeline.

    -- Posted by dennis on Mon, Jul 7, 2014, at 6:19 PM

  • The Keystone pipeline needs a different route, it should not be anywhere close to the aquifer. The proposed route crosses the aquifer! They could never clean up that goo that will flow through the pipeline once it gets into the aquifer. As far as that stuff bringing down our gas prices dream on, that stuff is not fit for gasoline, it will be refined enough to ship to China. If that sludge is so badly needed, I suggest that Canada refine it themselves, not send it across the largest underground source of fresh water in the world. Change the route, but oh gosh that would cost the Canadians and the Koch brothers more money to build it.

    As far as the tragedy in Canada with the train, has it ever been determined what actually happened? A sitting tied down train, suddenly moves and rolls down the hill, sounds like someone messed with the handbrakes and the engine brakes, someone sabotaged that train. IMO.

    -- Posted by fit2btied on Mon, Jul 7, 2014, at 11:28 PM

  • I'm sure their intentions are genuine but if they're truly concerned with the environment they wouldn't be driving around in old Uhauls that are sucking up fuel and puking out black smoke.

    -- Posted by ruralresident on Tue, Jul 8, 2014, at 11:21 PM

  • I agree. If you are protesting petroleum, do not do it while in gas burning vehicles. Walk, ride bicycles, drive solar or wind powered cars, that way you have credibility. And don't have smart phones, they require energy and are made of petroleum products.

    -- Posted by Hugh Jassle on Sun, Jul 13, 2014, at 8:06 AM

  • Ah yes, 5th grade, SRA and comprehension skills.

    -- Posted by hulapopper on Sun, Jul 13, 2014, at 6:13 PM
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